


Noapok

by ImpressiveDebt



Category: Original Work
Genre: AU, Airbending & Airbenders, Earthbending & Earthbenders, Firebending & Firebenders, Gen, Gravitybending & Gravitybenders, Lightbending & Lightbenders, Original Character(s), Original au, POV Third Person Limited, Poverty, Rich - Freeform, Rich and Poor, Shadowbending & Shadowbenders, Waterbending & Waterbenders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 08:14:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27650077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImpressiveDebt/pseuds/ImpressiveDebt
Summary: With the world divided in two, the Rich and the Poor, life is already complicated enough.  Water, fire, earth, air, light, shadow, and gravity. These are the seven elements humans can control.  There is a very rare and powerful being called the Noapok. For centuries, the Noapok had only been born in the Rich. Makao Peliki is a Noapok in the Poor. He must keep his identity a secret, or else he and his family could be killed.  But when an accident forces him to reveal himself, will he be able to keep everyone he loves safe?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. -Chapter 1-

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo! So this is an original work of mine. I know that it can be improved a lot so if you have any criticism please leave it in the comments! Criticism is most defiantly welcomed!  
> I have dyslexia, so if things are misspelled, point those out too! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy it!

Water, fire, earth, air, light, shadow, and gravity. These are the seven elements humans can control.

Makao Peliki was just another baby born at an overcrowded hospital located in Poor slums. He was placed onto his mother's bare chest just like any other child. But unlike other children, Makao was whisked away quite abruptly, leaving his mother and father wide-eyed and worried. They had a glimpse of his brown hair and assumed he was a Non, so why would they have taken him away?

So many questions whipped through their heads, stirring up anxiety quickly. A nurse takes their attention as he runs in and stops himself at the door.

"Mr. Peliki, come with me please." The nurse takes off running before Makao's father, Daniel even has time to register what he said. A second later, he dashes out the door to his son.

An agonizing twenty minutes of worry later, Makao's father walks back into the room.

"Noapok." He whispers so quietly that Sandry, Makao's mother, couldn't hear him.

"What? What's wrong with Makao?" Sandry asks.

"Noapok." He says louder.

Sandry's face drops. He comes over to her and holds her. He too is afraid of what this will do to Makao and the rest of the family. Will Makao be taken away? Killed? Will the rest of the family suffer because of fate? Sandry and Daniel hold each other for a while, terrified their child will be taken away from them.

*around 19 years later*

Sprinting from the police, the posse composed of Makao and some of his close friends are carrying boxes filled with a variety of foods. Living in the slums, they must steal to survive.

"Stop!" The police yell at them as they chase. "Stop or you will be detained with force Makao!" Makao has been caught a few times attempting to steal food for him, his family, and friends.

"Shit! How do they know it's you?" Sage, one of Makao's older friends, shouts at him. "We put on these stupid ass masks for that reason!"

"How the fuck would I know?" Makao shouts back at Sage. Makao thinks quickly. "They know that it's me but they don't know it's you guys! Kay! Take my box and run as fast as you guys can! I'll be back tonight!"

Makao tosses his box in the air sending an invisible gust of air under it. He guides it and it lands on top of Kay's box. Makao stops running. He is pushed to the ground and his hands are forced behind him.

"Makao! Fucking again dude? We are going to have to put you in jail this time!" The police officer on top of him spouts at him. She pulls Makao up on his feet and walks him to the station.

Makao is handcuffed to a bench, a position he is all too familiar with. When they detained him, they took everything but his identification card. They took his wallet, his necklace, even his fake eye. Who takes fake eyes? They even searched in his dreads. It's protocol down here in the Poor to search everything but Jesus, you'd think they could lay off.

A detective he hasn't seen before approaches him, "Hello. I am Detective Berch. I need to see your card please."

"Pocket." Makao simply puffs his chest, gesturing to his shirt pocket with his card in it.

"Ahh thank you." Detective Berch plucks Makao's card out of his pocket and begins to read it.

"Makao Peliki? Was your father Daniel Peliki?" Detective Berch asks.

"Yeah. Why?" Makao asks defensively. He doesn't like this detective already.

"He was in my platoon way back when. Didn't know he had a kid now." Detective Berch looks back down at the card and continues reading from it. "You're a Non?"

"Uhh yeah. Basically." Makao sputters out. Makao was actually not a Non at all. Quite the opposite. His card had him as a Non because if anyone found out that he was the Noapok, he would be in danger. A Noapok is the rarest elemental, they can control every element, and there is only one in the world at any given time. The Rich would attempt to capture and kill him to keep the bloodline "clean".

"It doesn't seem like you are... You're blind in that eye right?" Detective Berch asks and gestures towards Makao's left eye. "If you control light you'll need to register for that soon."

"Believe it or not, detective, you can be blind in one eye and still be a Non," Makao says. "Speaking about my eye, where is my it? Haven't you guys scanned it by now?"

"Oh right. Here it is." Detective Berch pulls Makao's black prosthetic eye out of a bag in his pocket. He reaches down and releases Makao from one of his handcuffs and hands it to him.

Makao slips his eye back in and says, "Thanks." He puts his hand back to be handcuffed again, but Detective Berch stops him.

"You don't have to do that. You don't seem like that much trouble." Detective Berch places the key and bag into his pocket.

'Rookie move new guy.' Makao thinks to himself. "How long are you gonna hold me here?" Makao asks.

"Oh I don't know, maybe a day or two until-" A crash cuts Detective Berch off. An inmate is choking a police officer through the bars of a cell. Detective Berch rushes off to help.

"This is my chance," Thinks Makao.

Makao gets the hairpin that he keeps taped to his hip and begins to pick his handcuffs. He has done this many times so it doesn't take him long to get out of his restraints. Makao bursts through the door and sprints out into the outside.

Once outside, Makao runs for the shadows. He can hide here. Makao starts for his home, hoping his friends have gotten there safely.

Makao is met with warm welcomes as he enters his old, rundown house in the slums. It's connected to four other houses so not the most private of places, but it's home nonetheless.

"You idiot! We thought you got taken in for good!" Sage yells at Makao with concern.

"Well, they would have had I not used the hairpin trick that Kay told me to use." Makao tosses the hairpin to Kay.

"Tell us how you did it Makao!" Makao's youngest brothers, Mano and Kapono shout at him.

Makao squats down to their level and looks them in the eyes. "I will in a second buds, okay? I have to talk to them real quick." 

"Fine!" The two boys run off and Makao stands back up.

Makao gestures for everyone to sit down at the table. The table is small but the crew of around 8 fills the table up nicely.

Makao may not be the oldest- Sage takes that spot at 23- but he does lead the group of "ruffians". He formed the group and took in a lot of the people at the table. He even houses some of the younger ones. Sage was- And always will be- his second in command. The newest member, E, takes the cake for being the youngest and the least skilled in her power, gravity. Having gravity as your power is very rare, and hard to master. E came to Makao because she heard he had a smorgasbord of benders. Hoping she would find a gravity bender, she came. She found more than she ever hoped for too.

"How many boxes did we get?" Makao asks, pulling out a filled notepad and a dull pencil.

"Around 10," Kay responds. Kay was in the group almost as soon as Sage was. He has been around for a while and is trusted by many.

"10? We had a good 15 when we booked it!" Makao states.

"We dropped some along the way. But at least we know they won't be wasted like they would at the store. They threw out two more boxes after we ran." Kay says.

"Damn." Makao pauses, "Okay, we'll ration what we have. How many do you need Kay?" 

"Two. Mom got fired yesterday." Kay informs them. Kay is has a big family with four brothers and his parents. He controls shadow and is growing in his skill every day. 

Makao scratches out something in his notepad and gestures for Kay to get what he needs. Kay's boots make a clunking noise on the old, broken floorboards.

"Bee?" Makao asks.

Bee slides her headphones off her ears. She stole them last time she went to the Rich side. "Just one. We can do it half though if we need to ration more." Bee says. Bee also controls shadow. She cares for her sibling and her parents a lot.

"Go ahead and take one. We can make do." Makao scratches in his notepad again. "Okay, Juli, how many do you need?"

"Two. My neighbors just had twins and they were wondering if they could have some too. Me, Salvedor, and my stepdad just need one though." Juli says. Juli's biological dad is in jail. Salvedor is her new flame, he moved in about a week ago.

"Yeah go ahead. I thought his name was Hugo?" Makao raises his head in confusion.

"Nope." Juli answers with her back turned, already grabbing the boxes. Makao brushes her off and scratches at his notepad again.

"Okay, that leaves, Sage, Steph, and Harry. Harry, you first." Makao points to Harry without glancing up.

"One." Harry doesn't talk much, but her power to control light comes in handy a lot so she earns her keep silently. Her white hair waves with her as she retrieves the box.

"Steph?" Makao asks.

"Just one. Oliver got sick yesterday, that's why he couldn't make it today." Steph says. They have a twin brother named Oliver and their parents.

"Okay. Take some medicine from the cabinet okay? And tell your parents that if I find one more bruise on you, I won't hold back this time." Makao says with a serious face looking at Steph. "Okay?"

"Gotcha boss," Steph says with a fake salute and heads for their box and meds. Their parents aren't the best and hit them sometimes. Makao has already warned Steph's parents once. He won't warn them again.

"Okay, Sage, that leaves you," Makao says standing up and placing his notepad down.

"Just one like always." Sage lives alone, he has almost all his life. His family died a while ago and he hasn't told anyone how, but no one pushes him for the story.

"Okay. Hey and give your pants to Lelani to sew them up." Makao offers while handing Sage his box. "You can stay here tonight too if you need to. It's a school night so everyone is gonna go to bed early and we can just chill after that."

Lelani is Makao's 14-year-old sister. She loves to sew and create clothes, which is great for the Poor community. People come to her a lot to patch or sew clothes. She rarely charges for a simple stitch or patch so we usually have older and younger customers coming in a lot.

"Sounds nice. You got beer?" Sage asks jokingly, not expecting an answer.

"Actually, Kekoa snagged a case yesterday." Makao leans back onto the counter. "You know he finally got accepted into that Rich school. I'm telling you, the kid's an absolute genius." Makao makes a brain explosion gesture, making Sage smile.

Kekao is the second oldest at 16 in the Peliki family. Makao has three brothers, Kekoa, Kapono who is 7, and Mano who is 8, and one sister, Lelani. They were all born in Poor, but their parents were born on an island, which was taken over by the Rich about 20 years ago. After the Rich took over all of the lands they were on, they evicted the Poors and split them up. Their parents were lost in the spilt. Makao has been caring for his siblings, himself, and other stray kids ever since then.

"Hey, where's E?" Lelani comes into the kitchen asking. "She missed an assignment today and I brought it home for her.

"Uhh she should be in your guy's room doing work," Makao says as he begins to walk to Lelani's and E's room. E stays with them sometimes because her home life isn't the best. And no matter how hard the Peliki's have it, there is always an open spot in their home. Makao is too nice for his own good a lot of the time.

"I think she went home, Mak!" Sage yells to Makao from the kitchen and hands his pants to Lelani to sew. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine."

"She didn't take her damn box." Makao stuffs a few cans into a box and writes E on the side in Sharpie. "Lelani, will you take this to her in the morning? Be sure to-"

"Hide it walking to and in school. I know Mak." Lelani says getting out her sewing kit.

Makao smiles and ruffs her hair. "Whatever nerd. Sew that up then get to bed okay?"

"Yep," Lelani says heading into her room.

"Hey, do you mind getting some eggs and bread out? I'm gonna make them breakfast for tomorrow. I have early work." Makao asks the pantless Sage.

"Will do," Sage replies.

"I'm gonna put the boys to bed then we can hang okay?" Makao rapped on the wall and turned for the boys' room.

Mano rushes past him, chasing Kapono with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. "Hey! Hey! Bedtime guys. Jeez." Makao shakes his head and goes into their room.

"Mak? There's a job down at the convenience store. Should I apply? It's a 30 dollar job." Kekoa asks Makao as he enters the room. Most jobs in the poor don't hourly pay, daily and weekly payments are the most common. For 30 dollars, it's probably a week or two long jobs.

Makao answers as he tucks in Mano, "Sure. Seems good. Mr. Geralt runs that place right?"

"Yeah." Says Kekoa.

"Hey, me and Sage are having some beers if you wanna come." Makao finishes tucking in the boys and heads back into the kitchen with Kekoa trailing behind him.

"No pants kind of day?" Kekoa asks Sage as he sits a beer bottle in front of both of them.

Sage takes a sip of his drink. "Yeah. Your sister is fixing them for me. They're my only pair so I gotta keep 'em in tip-top shape." Says Sage.

Makao is scrambling eggs and frying toast. "Toss me one Kekao." Kekao tosses Makao a beer with his back turned. Makao flicks his hand up and the bottle floats in the air for a second, covered in a transparent purple sheet, then finds its way over to his hand. "Hey! I didn't think that would work." Makao says and everyone begins laughing.


	2. -Chapter 2-

Makao locks the door to their home. He begins his day with a two-mile-long trek to work. He is the first to leave the house which isn't odd for him. 

As he goes down the crowded, narrow street he notices the small things happening around him. The mice scurrying around the corner and into a dirty alleyway as he passes by them. The teenagers who don't have school at this hour, doing their chores outside the house. The other people who have jobs walking or biking to their work. Makao loves the hustle of the slums and how it never rests. Much like the Rich cities, the slums are crowded. Unlike the Rich cities, the slums are overcrowded and much dirtier. 

Makao soon runs into Sage. Sage works at the same construction site that Makao works at. Sage lives in a different part of the slums so he is usually closer to the sites that he and Makao work at. Sage greets Makao with a yawn and they both continue walking. 

A few minutes later they arrive at their work. Since Makao and Sage are registered as Nons, they usually get the work that no one else wants to do. They sweep the bottom floor of the site, they move big chunks of rock that have fallen, they even just do errands for the benders that actually do the construction. This is humiliating for Makao as he could easily "just to hell" with it and show everyone his bending power. He could finish the five-month-long project in a day. Granted, it's only a five-month-long project because the main workers are lazy as fuck. 

"These lazy shits." Makao remarks at seeing all of the benders in the break-house eating together. "Ya know, one of these days I'm just gonna show everyone who I am." 

"No you won't, " Sage says as he opens the supply shed and gets a broom for himself and Makao. "'Cause if you do, you know what will happen." 

"Ya know, I don't even care anymore! Let them take me. Let them kill me. I'm so done." Makao throws his hands in the air as they begin sweeping. 

"Yeah okay. Whatever Mak, just keep sweeping, bossman's coming." Sage says as he looks down again and continues sweeping. 

The "bossman" that Sage is talking about is named Jack Nort. He is a pompous, arrogant, bender who loves to mess with the "Nons" when they are working. He knows that they can rarely ever find work anywhere else so they are most likely never going to quit if they can help it. Jack was a plain old jerk. 

The fat, short, man strides up to Sage and Makao. He kicks dust onto Makao's pants. Makao jerks up and looks Jack in the face, his broom falls to the ground with a soft "plunk". Jack stands about two inches below Makao's shoulders. Makao could easily take him with his own bending powers but he cannot reveal himself. Sage stands up and puts a hand to Makao's chest, holding him firmly. 

"Makao. It's not worth it." Sage talks quietly and looks at Jack when he finishes. Jack turns to walk away. 

"Ya know one day they will find me. The searches for the Noapok will stop. And if I live, I'm coming for this son a bitch first." Makao says when Jack has left. 

"You don't mean that Mak. He's just an arrogant prick, he'll get what's coming to him one day." Sage says as he continues to sweep the site. Makao bends down and picks his broom back up from where he dropped it and continues to sweep. Sage was right too, Makao wasn't a violent man by any means. He hated fighting people, even when they started the fight with him. Makao almost always fought the defensive side, preferring to sweep his attackers down with an invisible gust of air, or stomping his foot so his attacker tripped over a rock he manipulated up in just the right spot. 

As the clock turns from 05:00 to 13:00, Makao and Sage decide to visit Kekoa at his work for today. 

"Hey Mak! Hey Sage! What are you guys doing here?" Kekoa comes from behind the counter greeting them. 

"We'd thought we could come and get some stuff for lunch real quick," Sage says grabbing a bag of chips and a bottle of water. 

"And, we were also hoping you had a discount for us?" Makao adds in setting a bottle of water and a bag of hot chips on the counter with Sage's things. 

"Unfortunately not brother. Sorry." Kekao makes a 'nothing I can do about it' face and begins to count the items. The Poor doesn't have scanning things that can scan a code on a product. The Poor, simply average everything up with a price master that's different at every store. 

"You can't blame me for trying." Makao fishes out a five-dollar bill out of his pocket, handing it to Kekao. 

Makao and Sage leave the store with their items in their hands. Without warning, the two are flung forward by a blast coming from the store. Makao lands hard on the ground, Sage landing a few feet in front of him. 

Chaos breaks out immediately. Fire engulfs the store. Makao's eye is filled with an orange flame. Adrenaline takes over him, he jumps up and checks Sage. Sage sits up when Makao stands over him. 

"What the hell happened?" Sage asks, rubbing his back. Makao doesn't take the time to answer and he immediately runs for the creek running down the back of the store. He manipulates all the water he can over the store and spreads it over the entrance so he can go into the burning building. His fluid movements suggest that he is calm, on the contrary, he is all but. 

He runs in, Sage calling out for him in the background. People have gathered around the store and people are calling the fire department. 

Makao runs up to the counter and looks over the counter. The flames overhead singe his dreads and he quickly puts his hair out. 

"Kekao!" Makao yells frantically. "Kekoa!" Makao yells in surprise this time, finding a person in between where the isles of where food was stacked originally. He bends down to the person he now sees is a woman, checking her pulse. Makao sighs in relief and begins to throw her over his shoulder. As he does this, the roof begins to fall. With the woman over his right shoulder, he lifts the ceiling with his left hand using his gravity power, protecting her and himself from the flaming debris. The debris is being held by a transparent purple sheet that forms to the debris' surface. He runs for the entrance and lets the ceiling go when he is out from under it. 

He lays the woman down on the ground in front of the crowd. He turns around to go back in and as he does, the entrance begins to collapse. Again Makao uses his gravity power to hold the entrance open, entering under and going in once more to find his brother. 

After a few minutes of searching, Makao emerges from the burning building with a small, elderly man over his shoulder and Kekoa being drug by his shirt behind him. 

Sage was tending to other's wounds while still trying to nurse his own hurt leg. Makao lays down the elderly man gently. He looks at Kekoa first and sees if he is breathing. He realizes that Kekoa is not breathing and starts doing CPR. Workers are required to learn it on their site. Makao has never had to use it until now. 

Sage comes over to the man and begins talking to Makao as he tends to the man. 

"What the hell happened in there?" Sage checks the man's breath. Sirens are heard in the background. 

"I think it was a water heater explosion. I'm not entirely sure though." Makao says through compressions on Kekoa. 

After two more minutes of compressions, Kekoa finally takes a breath. He doesn't wake up but he does begin to breathe. 

A few minutes later police and fire show up. 

'Why are the police here? This is just a fire job.' Makao thinks to himself. 

The police exit their car and come running for Makao. Makao doesn't run and simply has a confused face as they tackle him. 

"Makao Peliki. You are under arrest for not registering under the title Noapok. You have the right to remain silent. You have..." Makao tunes the rest out. What will happen to him? What will happen to his family?   
Sage looks on in horror. Terrified about what will happen to Makao. 

"Sage! Take care of them! Please take care of them!" As if he just realized he was being held back, Makao begins to resist the officer's hold, "I'll be back soon! I- Goddammit let go of me!" Makao shouts at the officers as they put him in the squad car.


	3. -Chapter 3-

Makao has been in the back of a cop car for thirty minutes now. The sirens are not on although the driver seems to be in a rush. They near the police station but the car does not slow down at all and they pass it. Makao's head follows the station as it fades.

"Hey, why did you pass the station?" Makao rustles in the backseat. 

"We aren't taking you to the city's station. You're going to the Capital's station. From there? You're not our problem so I don't know what happens after that." The passenger cop keeps his head forward while he plays with the air conditioning. 

The capital he is talking about is Innasted, the biggest and "richest" part of the Poor. The word "richest" stretches it since there is still overrun homelessness and poverty all over it, but it is still better than most provinces in the Poor. 

The officers had put special handcuffs on Makao. These adhere to your wrists in a different way than regular handcuffs. They restrict your bending but they have not been tested on Noapoks before. They may not even work on Noapoks. Makao decides that right now is not the best time to test the hypothesis. 

As they continue down the deserted road Makao thinks about his predicament. Why would they arrest the Noapok? Noapoks are considered gods! So why is Makao in handcuffs? Are the rich going to kill him? Are they going to kill his family? Questions rack his mind.

After two more hours, they finally arrive at Innasted's police station. A crowd surrounds the door. Cameras start to flash as the cop car stops. The cops get out and make room to open Makao's door. The driver of the two cops takes my arm and leads me through the crowd. They throw things such as coins and flower petals. 

"He's our Noapok!" A person in the crowd yells. 

"We love you Noapok!" Yells another. 

This was not the welcome that Makao expected. He expected a mob yelling at him for hiding for nineteen years. He expected attempts at his life, not flower petals. 

They open the doors for him and lead him to a cell. The capitals of the Rich and Poor have special cells meant for powerful benders. The cell has glass and no bars. There is also an electromagnetic pulse that comes out periodically to suppress bending ability. 

They guide him in but they don't take off the handcuffs when they close the door. 

"Hey, are you gonna take these off?" Makao asks, gesturing with his arms behind his back. 

"Not for us to decide, Noapok." The driver replies. He places a condescending emphasis on 'Noapok'. 

Makao whispers under his breath, "Oh c'mon. 'Not for you to decide', my ass." Makao sits on the cool floor. Nothing is provided to sit on because a powerful enough bender could easily escape with just a regular chair given the chance.

He can hear people chanting outside about him. They keep saying "we won't forget!" They mean that they won't forget Makao, they won't allow him to be silently killed off. Makao doesn't know how strong their promise is but he can hope that they mean it.

Around 30 minutes later, two very official-looking people come to his cell. They are surrounded by officers in heavy gear. The officer in the middle walks forward and says, "If you try anything Makao, we will have to shoot you. We don't want to have to kill you Makao, but we will." 

Makao recognized his voice. This was the police commissioner that regularly searched him and interrogated him when he was arrested. Makao remembers his name as Johnny Derriva. Commissioner Derriva was a nice man and after arresting Makao multiple times for petty theft, he eventually began to let him go right after he was arrested. He realized that Makao had a family to take care of, just like he did. The cops in the Poor usually did that with thievery. The cops knew that if they didn't have their job, they would be stealing just like everyone else. The only crimes that can get you in jail in the Poor would be assault, murder, rape, stuff like that. Thievery and pickpocketing were common and not really reprimanded. 

One of the officials steps out of his human barricade and speaks to Makao in an accent. Makao realizes that this man is from the Rich when he speaks. "Makao Peliki." He pronounces Makao's last name wrong. He pronounces it like Peel-eye-ki. "We have-" He begins to speak again but Makao cuts him off. 

"It's Pe-li-ki. Makao Peliki." Makao finishes quickly and the man looks almost offended that Makao interrupted him. 

"Anyway. We have come here today to welcome our Noapok." He spreads out his arms as if he wanted a hug from a ghost. 

This line surprised Makao. They want to welcome him? Something's not right about this. Makao doesn't know what. He thinks it's best to not mention that he thought they were going to kill him. So he states, "Well, I don't feel very welcomed."   
That line earns a snicker from Commissioner Derriva. The official still looks offended. What did he say wrong? 

"Well, we have no idea how progressed your powers are. We would like to take you for testing and a showcasing tour for a few months. The people of the world want to meet their Noapok." The official places his arms at his sides awaiting a response.   
The 'showcasing tour' makes Makao's face cringe but he ignores that and instead asks, "Will my family be safe?"

"Of course they will! You can bring two people of your choice." He said as if Makao only had two people he cared about. 

"Adaris, the Poor usually have families of six or more." Commissioner Derriva whispers to the official, apparently named Adaris. 

The Rich can afford better birth control than the Poor can. Even condoms down here can cost a day's salary. So in turn, the Rich usually have families of three or four with one or two kids, while like Commissioner Derriva said, the Poor have families of six or seven with around four or five kids. 

"I have four siblings and a bunch of other younger kids that need my help. You expect me to just leave them?" Makao stands up as he talks, causing the guards in front to jerk their guns up quickly. Derriva puts a fist up, signaling that everything is fine. "I barely make enough to sustain them week to week! How am I going to leave them for a few months?" 

"Even though you may only be able to take two people with you, your family and friends will be taken care of substantially," Adaris said in a scared tone. Are they really that scared of Makao? He just stood up, his hands didn't move. Yes, you may be able to bend with other parts of your body but that takes more concentration than Makao was ever able to muster up. 

"Are you sure?" Makao looks down. 

"Yes of course! So this means you will come with us?" 

"Do I have a choice?" 

Adaris smiles at this, and motions for a guard to unlock Makao's cell.


	4. -Chapter 4-

Makao steps out of the police car and shuts its door. The car speeds off, leaving Makao standing in front of his home. He is carrying a small, empty, duffel bag. His dreads are more unkempt than usual. His clothes, dirty and torn. He takes a deep sigh and begins walking forward. 

He goes and knocks on the blue door. 

"Who is it?" Mano, his youngest brother, asks through the door. 

"It's Makao!" Makao yells back. 

"Makao!" The little boy shouts back. Locks are heard turning from the other side of the door. A second later the door is open and Mano is dashing for Makao. 

"Hey, buddy!" Makao kneels down and hugs the boy for a minute before releasing him. "Where is everyone?" 

"Lelani and Kapono are at the store getting groceries! Kekoa is in E's bed since he couldn't get on his bunk." Makao's memories come rushing back to him. He and Sage walking from the store and it exploding. Him finding Kekoa in the wreckage and being pulled away from the boy when getting arrested. Makao didn't even think about how hurt Kekoa was. He knew he was hurt, just not, bedridden hurt. 

Makao nods his head, rubbing Mano's shoulder. "Okay well, do you want to take me to him, bud?" 

"Sure!" Mano runs into the house. Makao stands and enters behind him, closing and locking the door. 

Mano takes Makao into Lelani's room and shows him the sleeping Kekoa lying in the spare bed. Makao's stomach drops at the sight of his younger brother. Kekoa has bandages wrapping his torso and both arms. His foot is being iced and propped up on a pillow. 

Makao doesn't say a word and simply lays a single hand on the bandaged boy's thigh, patting him, not wanting to wake him. 

"Let's let him rest, hm?" Makao places his hand on Mano's back and leads him out of the cramped room, closing the door behind him. 

"Why don't you go and get some of your work done, bud? I have to do something real quick." Makao looks down at Mano, who reluctantly, turns for his room. 

Makao goes down to the furthest end of the hallway into his room. This room is the second smallest in the house - coming after the bathroom - but he doesn't need much considering it's only him in the room. The door creaks open, revealing a double bed that takes up most of the room, a small dresser near the door, and an even smaller bookshelf hanging on the wall opposite the door. 

Makao takes the small duffle bag off his shoulder and places it on the bed, unzipping it. The insides are barren, leaving room for his things. When Adaris spoke to him yesterday he gave him this bag and two tasks: Say goodbye to your family and pack.   
Makao didn't know exactly what he was going to be doing when he got to the Rich. All he knew was that he is going to need some clothes and other things. He knew he wouldn't be gone forever. He also knew he had no other choice. If he could decide he wouldn't go on this venture, he would stay here and if anyone needed him to do his "Noapok duties" he would come and help. Adaris said that isn't how it works and that the public wants to meet their Noapok. Makao was still very suspicious about this whole ordeal. He should be on alert the entire time. 

Makao reaches into his dresser, pulling out the only other clothes he had, two pairs of pants, three t-shirts with varying colors and symbols on them, four pairs of underwear, and finally two pairs of ankle-high, white socks. He may not have much, but it's all he needs. With his growing siblings constantly growing out of their clothes or tearing them, he really only gets new clothes for them, and only when they need them. 

Makao also stuffs his toothbrush and toothpaste into the side pocket, along with a couple of thick ponytail holders in case he needed to pull his dreads back. 

Makao steps back and looks at the half-full duffle. He realizes how little he actually has. People in the Poor rarely ever have electronics so, no phone or laptops. They also rarely ever have extra shoes, so the pair he has on his feet is all he's got. He snaps out of his thoughts and zips the bag shut and throws it over his shoulder.

Makao exits his room. Walking down the hallway, he passes the front door just in time to be hit by it as Lelani and Kapono return from the store. Lelani gasps and drops her bags, completely ignoring the man's brief cry of pain.   
"Makao! Oh my god. I thought you would be gone for longer! Thank god!" Lelani pulls Makao's neck down to her level and doesn't let go as she expresses her relief. Kapono hugs Makao's legs. 

"Hey, I know. I know." Makao pets Lelani's hair down while reassuring her. "I'm here now." 

Makao sets his bag down and helps bring the few bags of food they have. He sets the bags on the circular table and leans against a chair. "Unfortunately, I won't be here long at all." Makao blurts out, not wanting to disappoint his siblings. Lelani looks at him in surprise, setting down the cans she had in her hand. 

"What? No. You can't just leave like that!" Lelani throws her hand up in the air in frustration. 

"Trust me, I wouldn't have it this way. The Rich are making me go on a parade."

"Damn. Those fuckers." Lelani looks down at the table. 

"Language Lelani. And I know. They are gonna fly me out there tonight. The good news is, I can take two people with me. The bad news is, if I take anyone, then they can't help anyone else while they are with me." Makao pulls out the chair he was leaning on and sits down in it, propping one foot on the seat of the chair. "I am probably going to take Sage. The gang can look after you guys. I won't let anything happen to you- mark my words." 

Lelani puts some cans into the cabinets, "Okay." She lets out a sigh, "Who else?" 

"I won't take anyone else. I'm scared if I do, you guys may not have the protection you need." 

As the conversation dissolves to an end, the front door opens once more, this time revealing a shirtless Sage. Makao's cheeks blush slightly. 

"Damn it's hot out there." Sage shuts the door, not noticing Makao at first. "Hey, Lelani? Is Keko-" His voice stops abruptly at the sight of Makao. "Makao! When did you get out?" Sage walks over to the shorter man and wraps him in a hug.   
"Today actually," Makao replies hugging Sage back. "But, I can't stay for much longer and I need you to come with me to the Rich for a while." 

"You got it. When are we leaving?" Sage asks nonchalantly. Sage has always been a ride or die type of person. He has been best friends with Makao since the split. Sage, Makao, and his brothers and sister, all got put into the same group home. Makao was 14 at the time and Sage was 17. 

Makao may have been young, but he could already bend air, water, fire, and gravity with ease and was learning light, shadow, and earth. He also had to grow up quickly, having to drop out of high school at 15 and take care of his family when the group home got shut down due to lack of funding. 

"Oh hey, Bee and Kay are coming over later to hang out. Are you going to be here still?" Lelani leans against the counter. 

Just as Makao was about to speak, a honk from a car horn is heard outside. Makao passes to the door and as he opens it he realizes that Lelani's question has been answered. 

A slick, shiny, black car is parked outside of his home. Somehow the car looks almost dust-free, completely disregarding the dirt road it is driving on. 

"Well, this is it." Kapono pokes his head in the doorway, gawking at the vehicle. 

Makao kneels down and Mano and Kapono rush into his arms. "I love you Makao." They say almost in unison. 

"I love you too guys. It won't be forever." He pulls away from the hug and kisses them both on their foreheads. 

Lelani finishes her hug with Sage and comes over to Makao. "I swear to god if you leave again without telling us sooner I'll punch you." She says as she buries her face into his chest. Makao laughs internally as if he could have told them sooner.   
"I love you too Bub." He kisses the top of her head. "Tell Kekoa that I better see him running laps when I get back." 

Lelani smiled and nodded her head. She knew that was Makao's strange way of saying, 'I love you.' 

Lelani, Mano, and Kapono all waved goodbye to Sage and Makao as the black car sped off. Makao stuck his head out the window and waved back, praying that this was the right thing to do. 

Sticking his head back in the car and rolling up the window, Makao takes in the vehicle. It looks brand new. The Black leather interior is fancier than anything he has ever seen in the Poor. There are glass cups and mini whiskies in the door.   
Makao looks over at Sage to ask him a question and sees that Sage has already opened a mini whisky and is drinking the entire bottle. It's only about a shot inside of the tiny container so Makao isn't that alarmed that his friend decides to already begin drinking. 

Makao chuckles a little bit then asks a question, "Hey Sage? What do you think they are going to do when we get there?" 

Sage finishes the bottle and looks around for where to put the empty bottle as he answers, "Well, honestly I have absolutely no clue. I hope that they will treat you like a god though. And of course me as the god's partner." 

Makao gets flustered slightly at the word partner. "P-Partner? Why partner?" He doesn't dislike the word just wonders what connotation Sage meant. 

"Cause I am not a sidekick. I am a valuable asset to the god. Hence, god's partner." He stuffs the bottle back where he picked it up from. 

"I'm not a god though?" Makao chuckles out. 

"Ahh, you basically are. Maybe not officially. But you may as well be." Sage props his leg on his knee. 

"Whatever dude." Makao and Sage each chuckle at the other's words. 

The car ride lasts for a good two hours. Makao and Sage pass the time with Element, Shoot! A game in which the goal is to cancel out the other's element. They also passed differing theories about what would happen when they got to the Rich. Makao takes a shirt out of his duffel and hands it to Sage. 

The shirt stretches across his pecs. Makao isn't a small man, but compared to Sage, he is almost like a child. At one point, Sage threw up the idea of, "They could need help with aliens?" That idea simply got a laugh and they moved on, although both thought about it more to themselves after. 

The car comes to an abrupt stop. Not at the Rich, but at an airport. For the first time during the ride, Makao taps on the driver's window that divides the two compartments. The window rolls away and the driver asks, "How can I be of service, sir?"   
Makao is taken aback slightly. He had never been talked to like that before. He had never been called sir. He didn't like it much. 

"Uhm. Where are we, sir? Why are we at an airport?" Makao looks through the windshield from the back seat. 

"This is Innasted Airport. Your plane is waiting for you. The plane will take you to the Rich capital, Jurlos. From there, well I actually don't know after that." The driver finishes and adjusts his hat. 

"We get to go on a plane?!" Sage asks already getting out of the car and walking towards the flying machine sat in front of the car. 

"Oh. T-thank you sir! This is awesome!" Makao thanks the man and leans through the window to kiss his cheek. The man is taken aback but simply smiles. 

"Have a nice and safe trip Noapok!" The man yells from the car and begins to back out but Makao's voice stops him. 

"Wait! What's your name?" 

"Jeremy sir!" 

"Thanks, Jeremy!" Makao turns back to the plane. Jeremy has a smile on his face.


	5. -Chapter 5-

The plane was huge on the outside and even bigger on the inside. It had a full bathroom with a vanity, a shower, and a toilet. From the stories Makao has heard of planes, this is not normal. The plane also had two twin beds in a bedroom at the back of the plane. A bar and two booths graced the front of the plane.

Makao's bag was taken from him by a woman in a suit and tie. She bowed and went into the bedroom. Makao and Sage sat down opposite each other at one of the booths. The drive to the airport was 3 hours long so the boys were already going a little stir-crazy.

They didn't say anything for a few minutes. Sage leans his head back while Makao stares out the window, his leg bouncing up and down. After the plane door was shut and closed, the overhead speakers began to produce static and then a voice,

"The plane is taking off in 5 minutes. Please be seated and buckled." The woman's voice was light but stern at the same time. She had the same accent that Adaris had when he had told Makao about this trip.

"Never thought I'd be on a plane," Sage breaks the silence. "You always think about it as a kid but then you accept that it will probably never happen." He smiles, his hand holding up his head. He's right, Makao too thought he would never be on a plane. Or going to the Rich side for anything other than to steal better items. Or being found out as the Noapok. Or having to leave his family- now that he thinks about it, there are a lot of things Makao thought would never happen, happening.

The plane rumbled to a start and began to turn. Makao and Sage both pressed their faces against the window, looking at the ground from above was quite odd for them both. Once the plane leveled out they both pulled from the window and settled in their seat properly once more.

"Can I get you anything to drink sir?" The woman in the suit appeared by Makao once more. She seemed to materialize out of thin air. With a start, Makao answers,

"Uhh yeah, that would be great. Thanks."

"One for me too please!" Sage adds in with a goofy grin. He leans into where only I can hear him, "Mak, this is so cool. We've never had a server this nice. All the servers down in Ignagini spit in your drink if they were having a bad day." Sage leans back with a laugh. It's true. The waiters in Ignagini, the Poor town that Makao and Sage live in, did do many things that were less than reputable. That's why most people ate in their homes. Cooking every night is better than getting a chance of catching a disease.

The woman came back with their drinks. "What's your name ma'am?" Makao asked while looking up to the woman.

The woman looked confused but responded, "It's Alina, sir. Alina Surrovi." She finished with a pleasing smile.

"Well nice to meet you Miss Surrovi. And thanks." Makao raised his glass of what smelled like very nice whiskey. Sage did the same and they both drank. Alina turned for the server's corner and took a seat, a grin spread across her pale face.

There wasn't much to do on the plane, other than sit and look out the window. But the boys have many solutions to boredom. Sage folded the napkin that came with his drink into a triangle. Makao put his fingers in an "L" shape and pressed them together. Sage flicked the paper and it went to the left of Makao's shoulder.

"You never were good at this." Makao sighed sarcastically. They played this for a while. They also talked about what they thought the airport would look like, what their boss is thinking right now, the look of the sky, and many other things. They both knew they were avoiding the serious questions they both had. "What will happen when we get there? Is this all a setup? Should we be preparing to die?" They both mutually knew they should ask those questions, just not right now. Not while this all seems like a dream. Like at any moment Makao would wake up to his cold, one sheeted bed and have Mano and Kepono jumping on it to wake him up.

Deep down Makao knew there were two outcomes to this venture: they would be killed and ditched in an incinerator and the Noapok cycle would begin over again, or, they would become the world's heroes for a time. Makao hoped for the latter, though he also prepared for the first outcome.

The plane touched down in Jurlos two hours later. Alina grabbed Makao's bag from the bedroom and a new man that Makao had not seen before took it down the stairs of the plane and into a car. The cold air of Jurlos this time of year was brutal. Makao and Sage both never had any winter clothes other than maybe a thin jacket here and there. Makao had given his jacket to Kekoa last winter and Sage hadn't brought anything so both of the boys shivered as they stepped off of the plane.

The driver of the new car was a young woman with a stern face. She greeted Makao as the Noapok when they entered and completely ignored Sage. The boys exchanged confused glances but didn't speak of it.

It didn't take long before it seemed they had driven into an alternate reality. The tall buildings were lit up from bottom to top and shined like stars. There were street lights made by light manipulators, they gleamed different colors depending on which angle you were looking at them from. The sidewalks were lined with glamorously dressed people. Some even seemed to have sparkling skin or hair. Almost all shop windows were open despite the late hour. The streets were clean. Makao had yet to see one rodent scurry into a gutter or a dead animal kicked somewhere to the side of the road.

Makao picked up his jaw and looked over at Sage, whose jaw was still on the floor. His face was illuminated with the lights of the city. The diver's face hadn't changed expression since Makao had first seen it. He assumed she must see this every day but how could you ever get tired of this?

Makao began to gawk out the window once more. The drive was a very odd experience for him, he assumed the same for Sage. Cars were an extreme rarity in Ignagini. You may see one beat up, faded, old car one time a month, if that. In the Poor, you either walked or rode a bike if you had the cash to spare. Makao remembered the first job he had he had to walk three miles every morning to get to on time. He didn't mind the walking, but seeing hundreds of cars on the road here shot annoyance into his mind.

Soon the car came to a stop in a big parking garage. The driver got out and opened Makao's door with lightning speed. Makao got out, thanking the driver. Sage opened his own door and came to Makao's side at the edge of the garage. They both looked over the vast city that almost seemed to be breathing.

"It doesn't seem real." Makao nearly whispered out. Sage raised his eyebrows and nodded in response. A man's voice pulled them out of their trances.

"Noapok, Mr. Marlow," The man was dressed in an electric yellow suit, complete with matching hair and shoes, he was a sight to behold. "Please follow me!" The boys followed the long-limbed stranger into an elevator. The elevator was coated in gold paint. It couldn't be real gold, right? The man hit the number 10 and the elevator rose with a jerk.

As they were on their way up, Makao asked the man, "Sir? Where are we going?" The man's face broke into surprise for a split second when Makao called him sir, then the next second it was back to being composed. Makao almost wondered if he had imagined it.

"We will be heading to a facility that specializes in," He hesitated then continued, "fixing up people. Not to worry, we won't take long. Just an initial tidying up before you meet the Empress." Makao and Sage both looked at each other in shock. People from the poor were never permitted to meet the Empress. They heard stories about her and from those, heard she is attempting to lessen the financial poverty of the Poor. She is not doing too well obviously.

The elevator opened soon after the initial shock, revealing a hospital-like floor. Everything was white or a muted color. Oddly though, there were no doors to the rooms, the wall was simply stripped away from each room leaving everything connected. Some rooms had a single bed in the middle with medical instruments surrounding it. Some had people in white hospital scrubs with straight, shoulder-length, white hair, but varying skin tones talking to one another. Makao couldn't tell if a person was male or female. They looked beautiful but terrifying nonetheless.

The yellow man led them down the hall and seemed to randomly stop and pick a room to lead them into. There were two beds in this room but aside from that, there was no difference between this room and all the others. The man gestured to the beds and instructed the boys to lie down.

"Why is everything white?" Makao wondered out loud as they were sitting.

"Simply design choice, Noapok. Do you prefer color?" The Yellow man asked, expression unbreaking.

"Oh, well I do prefer color but, white's cool too I suppose."

Makao and Sage went and sat on the bed and, almost as if they were waiting on the boys to sit down, four of the very white, people came waltzing into the room. They split into two groups and went to each bed. One person carried a metal box adorned with Makao and Sage's name on the respective boxes. The other carried a set of vibrant colored clothes with a pair of equally vibrant colored shoes on top.

They set the clothes down and the box beside them. "Noapok please take this and lie down." They hand Makao a pill with a tiny cup of water.

"Hey hold up," Makao raises his hands, "What is that? And what is this white place?"

The taller white person turns to the Yellow man and says, "You weren't kidding when you said he asks a lot of questions." Those weren't a lot of questions. That was a perfectly appropriate number of questions for being thrust into something such as this. "You are in a beauty clinic, and this is a pill that will suppress your powers for a small amount of time. It will make you feel very good, but you won't pass out." They thrust the pill closer to Makao's face again. Makao never had to have his powers suppressed before. The only threat he posed as a non was his muscles. Stubbornly and reluctantly, he downed the white pill without the water, and immediately everything around him became distant. He regretted trusting them. His ears were ringing and he only heard distorted voices coming from the Whites. They guide him down to the cold table's surface. He shivers, the cold somehow became colder. He turns his head to Sage only to see his friend's eyes filled with horror. Sage's Whites were saying something to him but he wasn't listening. Makao turned his head to the ceiling.

Almost as if time skipped forward, someone was slipping their finger into Makao's left eye to take out the prosthetic. They were gentle, too gentle. Makao's right eye followed the prosthetic as it was thrown into a small trash can. "Hey..." He attempted to say but only his mouth opened, no sound escaped it, merely a sigh. Then Makao heard Sage's booming voice very clearly, "Hey! You assholes can't just throw our shit away!"

'He's right, they have no right to throw away my things.' The Whites near Sage put their hand on his shoulders, holding him to the bed. Makao caught one of the White's forearms as they reached towards him again. He attempted to speak again but his eyes rolled back and for a second he was gone.

He was in a place where no one could hurt him. His father was home, his mother was pregnant with Lelani and she was nursing a cut he gained while playing outside with his friends. Kapono was wobbling towards his mother with a toy in hand, babbling about something.

He attempted to speak out to his mother. All that came out was air. He looked down at the cut he had. He still wore the scar from that cut on his arm. He remembered the pain. The panic he had. He was scared they would have to go to the hospital, god knows they couldn't afford a hospital visit. He had cut himself on a broken piece of metal on the makeshift playground he played at. Wrapped in a piece of a shirt, he tried to hide it from his mother, of course to no avail. She simply led water from her hip flask to the wound, her hand flowed like the water she controlled. It glowed a pale blue and suddenly the inflammation was gone and the major bleeding ceased, a deep cut was all that remained. She wrapped a long bandage over it and told him to rest.

As soon as he had gained everything back, he lost it again. It slipped from his grasp and fell into the darkness. He scrambled for it but only to grab onto the shadow. The darkness formed clumps in his hands and began to spread up his arms. He was controlling it but it was almost like his brain was being controlled by something else to make him manipulate the shadow. He didn't want to see the darkness any longer. Makao summoned light from his palms and the darkness ceased. He felt warm with the sun-like glow emitting from his hands.

"Makao," Makao's head whirled around to meet his mother's eyes. "You must go back now. It was nice seeing how much my boy has grown up." She was much shorter than Makao, coming in just below his shoulders. Her hand caressed his face, and a smile had found its way onto her features. There was so much he wanted to tell her, so much she had missed out on. She began to fade just as the previous scene had. Makao didn't want to let her go. He groped around in the fading apparition but it was gone before he could register it.

"No! Mama..." Makao looked down into his empty hands. He wanted to punch something. He wasn't violent. He hadn't seen his mother in so long, and when she was taken away like that, he wanted to hit something, hard. His mother always used to say, "If you can't solve it with words, Makao, the problem is not worth your time." She was right in that statement regarding most things, some things could not be solved with words though. Some had to be solved by pain, either giving it or during the lesser times, taking it.

He began to grow tired from summoning the light. The light began to bleed away and darkness took its place in the universe once again. Makao closed his eyes and took in the darkness. He let the cold shadow cover him like a blanket of soot-covered snow. He fell asleep.

________________________________

Makao woke with a start. "They said I wouldn't pass out," was his first thought. "Where is Sage?" was his second. His head throbbed and his joints felt like jello. His surroundings were different from before he had passed out. He was in a big bed in a bigger room. The room was painted a dark green and an accent wall had big, thick tree trunks painted on it. They seemed to never end on the two-dimensional wall. In front of him was a vanity with two large dressers on either side of it. The room was laden with intricate wood carvings covering the doorways and the crown of the room.

Makao slung his legs off of the bed. He wore grey pajama bottoms that adhered to his ankles with a form-fitting elastic and a loose-fitting black t-shirt. His face flushed as he saw the hem of a pair of underwear that he did not put on himself. "No time for that." He shook his head, expecting the familiar feel of his dreads to plunk against his head as he shook them out. Instead, he simply felt air. His eyes widened and his hands shot up to his head. He couldn't feel his dreads. He looked over to the vanity again and stood to walk to it.

His legs didn't listen to him at first. He caught himself on the edge of the bed before he hit the ground. He tried again, this time mustering up enough power to make it to the chair in front of the vanity. As he steadied himself on the chair, he gawked at his image. His dreads had been shaved on the sides and taken out on the top. His dark brown hair was now cut short and slicked back on the top of his head. "THEY SHAVED MY FUCKING DREADS?" was the next thought that entered Makao's mind, and apparently exited his mouth. A panicked looking Sage came bursting into the room followed by two women dressed in pale blue tunics, the universal color of healers. 

"What's wrong- oh..." Sage said as he registered the horror-stricken look on Makao's face.

"Who did this?" Makao asked calmly while pointing to his head in a not calm manner. It had taken Makao 12 years to grow his dreads down to his bottom. 12 years he had those things in. In the blink of an eye, they were gone. "Eye." That reminded Makao, he had a vague memory of someone throwing away his prosthetic eye. He felt up to his left eye. He had a patch on. 'Goddamn these people,' Makao was ready to hurt something again. He remembered his mother's words and calmed himself as well as he could.

"I tried to stop them but they had cut them faster than I could protest. They said that people here didn't know what your hair was. That they would think it was weird." He walked closer to me as he talked.

"They just shaved them. Like they meant nothing." Makao's arm snaked over Sage's shoulder as he led him back to the foreign bed. His father had dreadlocks too, his ancestors were introduced to the style over a hundred years ago by witnessing animals with matted hair. This place had no culture. Or maybe their culture was, "I don't care."

Sage sits Makao down on the bed and turns to the healers, "He's fine, I got it from here." The panicked healers turned and left the room. Makao swore he could hear a sigh from them once the door closed.

"Maybe it was a mistake coming here after all." Makao's hand strayed to his very short hair. Sage looked down at him with a concerned look across his features.

"Mak, coming here was the best thing you could have done. If you hadn't come the first time they asked, people would have been very mad first off. And second off, they would have just kept trying to make you come up here." Sage crossed his arms. "Just think, we get to meet the Empress. Us! A couple of Poor nobodies get to see her."

Makao had forgotten about the Empress. Empress Novlen Freame had taken the throne at 22 and was loved by all people. That was five years ago and she is still loved by most. The split had taken place right before she became Empress. Until the split, the financial difference between the Rich and Poor was way less than it is today. The Rich and Poor weren't even called so yet. The Rich was called Alegreban and the Poor, Novyebrisk. The split was put into effect by the officials of Novyebrisk and dropped onto Empress Novlen's inexperienced shoulders. She was considered a godsend by the Poor because she actually cared about them, she didn't just brush them off and not think about them like her predecessors.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Sage." Makao stands, without problems this time. He truly does hope that this is the right thing.


	6. -Chapter 6-

Makao watched as Sage stared at himself in the mirror in disbelief, "They expect us to wear this?" Servants had brought them both a suit with different element designs on them. Makao a black suit with colors of brown, blue, red, and white sprinkled over it, with plain black dress shoes. Sage was dressed in a white suit with bits of yellow, black, and purple splattered over it. The suits didn't look bad by any means, but on Sage and Makao, the suits looked very out of place. Sage's suit was a little too short for him, the pants ending just before his ankles. Makao silently thanked his mother for his height.

Sage's black hair was slicked back against his head. Makao hadn't recognized him at first, never having seen his friend like this. Makao's new hair was not growing on him. He had attempted to find the person that had cut his dreads, but no one would tell him. He gave them an "At least, you're not a snitch" badge in his mind.

The clothing designers also made him a new prosthetic eye. This one was black too, just as the last one was. But this one was a lot less irritating to Makao's eye. It didn't bother him nearly as much as his cheap, Poor made, one had.

"I look ridiculous in this Mak," Sage turns away from the mirror. "Why do I have to wear this, if you're the only one going on stage?" An interview was waiting for Makao in about an hour. Makao has always hated the spotlight.

"I don't know Sage!" Makao replied abruptly. Sage's eyes went wide with surprise at hearing his friend's snap, they quickly went back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. I'm just nervous." Makao's hands trailed up to his hair out of habit, only to be met with more disappointment. His hands snapped to his sides and he looked down.

Sage puts his hands on Makao's shoulders, facing him. "Mak, even though you do kinda suck at public speaking,"

"Not helping Sage." Makao snapped again.

"You'll do great out there." Sage finished with a laugh. "You're just talking about your life, right? You don't have to memorize a speech for that! It's already in your head." Makao's head lifted up. Their eyes met as Sage's hand found its way to Makao's. "I know you got this Mak. You'll do great." Sage was so close that Makao felt the breath of the taller boy against his own forehead. Sage's hair must have been washed recently because, underneath the fresh smell of the shampoo, Makao could still smell the dirt of the construction site, the cigarettes from the bars they'd been to, the mildew from Sage's apartment's ceiling. The smell comforted Makao. No matter how far away from home they were, they would never be apart for long.

Sage stood and Makao's nostrils were filled with the artificial smells of the rich, ammonia, new plastic, and something else he couldn't quite make out.

Almost as if Sage had sensed something, the door opened as soon as Sage was fully stood. Their hands unlocked and Makao's felt oddly empty. A man dressed in a black suit appeared in the doorway.

"Noapok, Mr. Marlow, the interview goes live in thirty minutes." Makao nodded in response and the man left, the door quietly shutting behind him. Things were too quiet in the Rich. The rooms were deadly silent, even the streets had an eerie muffle over them.

Makao wanted to say something but he couldn't put the right words together. The boys stood in the dressing room for a few more minutes, the silence seeped under the door and coated the room. Makao wanted to scream. He wanted things to be back the way they were. He knew that could never happen, but secretly he wished for it.

Sage's footsteps broke the silence. He had been looking down at his shoes, now he faced the mirror at the front of the room. Makao knew that Sage was uncomfortable just by looking at him. Sage's shoulders were slumped slightly, his eyes sagged with worry, his hands tucked deep in his pants pockets. For some reason, a water bottle was shoved halfway down one of his pockets.

Makao didn't even want to think about the price of these outfits. They probably cost a year's salary and then some. But for the people of the Rich, this may have been pocket change.

Sage soon looked at the clock above the door and broke the silence once more, "Ten minutes Mak. We should get going." Time seemed to pass faster here.

Makao nodded and opened the heavy door. The dressing room they were in was located at the interviewing station. As soon as Makao was spotted, people were walking up to him, touching his shoulder, or calling his name. He didn't like the attention. Sage stuck behind Makao as they entered the backstage area.

A guard dressed in a black suit put a hand on Sage's chest. The guard was a few inches shorter than the towering Sage. "Only interviewees past this point."

Makao stopped short, "No he is fine! He's coming with me on stage." Makao fell many inches below the guard, his head craning up to meet the guard's eye.

"I'm his emotional support friend you see..." Sage piped up. The guard didn't look amused, but when they had passed him, they both began laughing.

The backstage area was shrouded in black with various boxes and items scattered about. A servant had ushered Sage and Makao to an opening in the curtain. Makao could barely see out of the sliver of the missing curtain. The humongous auditorium was packed to the brim with people. They were all dressed in vibrant colors and many of the people were shiny. Makao made a mental note to ask how they did that when he got a chance.

A man dressed in all sliver walked onto the stage from the other entrance. The crowd erupted into cheers. The man seemed to eat up the attention that was given. Makao secretly hoped for that confidence once he was out there. "I am your host, Cornelius Bonando, and this," The man controlling the curtain counted down from three, then the curtains opened. Makao was gently pushed out by Sage as the crowd only grew louder. Sage gave a pitiful wave as the curtains closed, trapping Makao on stage. "Is Makao Peliki, our Noapok!" The crowd surged and somehow grew louder. Makao didn't know if he should wave, he simply smiled as he made his way to Cornelius.

The crowd quieted once the two had sat down. Makao was looking down at his shoes and didn't hear the man speak. "Makao? You here with us?" The man laughed out, this time Makao heard him.

"Oh, y-yeah. Sorry." Makao's hand went up to his head, instead of snapping down, he forced it to land on his neck, trying to look less awkward.

The audience laughed along with Cornelius. "Well, at least you're pretty Makao." The man laughed again and the audience grew louder. Makao forced a laugh, this was going to be harder than he thought.

Back when he was still in school, Makao was always "sick" during his speech grades. He was quickly regretting that decision. He didn't really know why he hated speaking so much, he just always had. He felt weak when he had to speak. Like a child being scolded by a stern parent.

The audience had finally stopped laughing and quieted down to a low hum. "Makao," The man's voice broke through the auditorium. "During this interview, we want to learn the real you. The you, that your family and friends know. We want to become close to you, so the first question I will ask is, what is your favorite element to manipulate?" A spin on the age-old question, "What's your favorite element?" Kids asked this to any other child they met. The kids that could manipulate an element would of course respond with the element they had control over, the Non kids would probably spit out gravity since this was regarded as a "cool element" When Makao was asked this as a child he usually said he didn't have one, since he was meant to keep his powers hidden from the outside world.

"Water is my favorite, my Mama was teaching me water manipulation before I could walk," Makao responded with a smile. "She was an amazing healer. The best on our island and she had a knack for teaching people- even a baby."

Makao would brag on his mother any chance he could. She truly was a gifted healer. If she was born in the Rich she would have become an amazing surgeon, but on the Poor island she was on, she had the title, "Healer of all ailments."

The crowd liked that answer apparently because they began clapping again, although shorter-lived this time, it was as loud as ever. "And your mother, is she with you today?"

Makao hated telling people personal details, but he answered anyway. "Oh, no. my siblings and I were taken from our parents during the Split." The crowd let out an audible "aww." This was the answer Makao hoped they wanted. They seemed to like the "tortured hero" stuff he was saying. He didn't see how they liked it, but they did.

"I'm very sorry to hear that." Cornelius paused. "Your parents, what were they like?" He had a face that seemed eager to learn more.

"My parents were great. As I said, my Mama was a healer, she was amazing at it too. My Pa was a fire manipulator, he fought in the war actually. He was also an amazing manipulator." Makao realized he was talking with his hands and quickly moved them to his lap. "They were the people that taught me my first elements."

"Oh, that's delightful! What were your first elements like? Did it take you a while to learn them?" Now the questions were back on Makao.

"My first element to learn was water. I picked it up pretty easily too. It really didn't take me too long to fully learn it. Now, by no means am I a master yet, but I do know my way around it." Makao let out a laugh along with the audience. "My second element was fire. It took me a little longer to learn. My Pa wasn't a very good teacher. He knew the craft but honestly, he couldn't teach worth shi-" Makao stopped himself. Was he allowed to curse? The audience laughed in response. Maybe it wasn't that bad then.

Cornelius was laughing. "Well, your Pa seemed like a nice person." He leaned forward slightly. "Makao, do you have any siblings?"

"I have four actually. There's Kekoa who is 15, Lelani who is 14, Kapono who's 8, and finally, Mano who just turned 7."  
"What are they like?"

"Well, Kekoa is very, very smart. He actually got accepted into a Rich college this year." Makao didn't tell them the part about how he couldn't attend due to the cost. "Lelani is amazing at sewing and repairing things. Kapono likes to play soccer and run a lot. And Mano loves to draw. His favorite thing to draw right now is the view outside of his window. The crayon dragons he adds are pretty good too." Makao laughed as did the audience.

"Makao we only have time for a few more questions so let's ask some more juicy ones shall we?" Cornelius crosses his legs and folds his hands on his knee. "We want to know how you evaded the attention of so many for so long. It must have been hard, no?"

"Umm.." Makao paused, thinking of his answer. "It wasn't really hard. It was more frustrating. I was registered as a Non, so I couldn't use any of my powers in public. I had to use them when I was saving my brother recently." Makao rubbed his neck and looked down at the black, shiny floor.

"Why was it frustrating?" Cornelius ignored the comment about his brother. "He knows what I am trying to do. He is good at putting the conversation back at me." Makao thought to himself.

"Well, I had to do more manual labor and stuff like that, ya know? It was just frustrating because I knew I could do jobs so much more efficiently and faster with my powers, I just couldn't reveal myself."

Cornelius made an 'Ahh.." face and leaned back in his chair. "Okay Makao, one more question. As you may already know, women love the way you look, Makao. So, is there a special lady waiting for you back home?" His eyebrows were raised. Makao's face flushed a bright red.

The Rich was a very "straight" society. Male and Female were really the only ways to go over here. Of course, same-gender couples could still be together, but they were silently looked down upon. The Rich were supposed to create children to continue the bloodlines. A child rarely ever was put up for adoption here.

In the Poor, no one could care less about who you did or did not bring home. Now there were some biased people but almost everyone never cared about the "Only males and females together" thing. Makao was brought up with that accepting mindset. He had never cared for gender, he liked the person more than anything.   
"Umm, no there isn't..." Makao let out awkwardly. High pitched screams came from the audience. Makao's face flushed brighter.

"What? No, he must be lying to us!" Cornelius looked towards the audience. "A handsome and young man like you must have the ladies crawling to him!"

Makao found the way Cornelis spoke disgusting. Such a disrespective dialect the Rich had.

"Okay, maybe there is one person..." Makao quietly let out. He knew that was the answer they wanted. "But I don't think they would like me in that way." Makao let out another awkward laugh. More excited screams came from the audience. Makao thought of the person. He has known them for a while, but he doubts they feel the same way.

"As I thought! Well Makao, that girl is very lucky! I'm sure she would like you back." The audience began clapping loudly again. "Well folks, it seems that is all the time we have for today's interview!"

Cornelius stood and Makao followed. "The Noapok, ladies and gentlemen!" Makao bowed along with Cornelius and smiled, hoping he said the right things.

The curtains closed behind Makao and Sage swept him into a hug. "See! I knew you could do it, Mak!" Sage released Makao with a squeeze.

Makao forced himself to take deep breaths. He realized that he had barely breathed out there, he was practically gasping for breath.

Makao and Sage were ushered back to the dressing room. They weren't given any clothes to change into so they both just took a few minutes to gather their wits.

"You did very well, Mak, you didn't mess up near as much as I thought you would."

"You're such a good friend Sage," Makao replied sarcastically, glaring at his friend. Changing tones Makao asked, "Sage, what do you think everyone's doing back at home?"

"Well if I know any of them, they're probably crammed in at Bee's place watching her TV." He smiled, "Everyone's probably going insane at seeing you on the screen."

Bee was one of the older members of the crew. She has been stealing for a while now and she nicked the TV a few years back. Whenever she got it set up, the kids always went over there to watch it, sometimes it wasn't just the kids. Makao had never seen a TV until Bee showed up with it. Bee had to kick them out a few times so she could go to sleep without the dull drone of the channels in the background.

Makao smiled, remembering the crew. He would give anything to see them again soon. He didn't know what the Rich wanted him to do next. If it was anything like the live interview, he may refuse to do it.

Makao and Sage sat and reminisced about home until a servant knocked on the door and told them that he was there to escort them to dinner.

The boys looked at each other. No one had mentioned a dinner. Are they going to have to talk to more people? Reluctantly, they followed the servant down a series of hallways, all with intricately painted ceilings. They passed people dressed in fancy garments. They all slowed to watch Makao as he walked by. Some even gawked at Sage too.

The servant led them to a pair of very large and heavy-looking doors. He bowed as he opened the door, revealing a large dining hall packed to the brim with people. These people were not dressed in fancy attire, instead, they all wore military dress. Different colored patches at their shoulders identified their respective elements.

Makao and Sage suddenly stuck out like a sore thumb with their suits. Makao looked at Sage confused, "What? Why are we here?"

"Hell if I know Mak," Sage replied, just as confused.


	7. -Chapter 7-

Makao and Sage are seated at a long table that was filled with various people, dressed in military uniforms. Everyone at this table wears a badge on their chest stating that they are of a higher rank. The suits that Makao and Sage dawn stick out amongst the bland dress of the military. 

Makao is thoroughly confused. No one has told him what he is doing here. Honestly, no one has told him anything since he got here. He has been ushered to different places along with Sage, never being told what was happening until right before he was made to do something. 

Now, Makao was looking around a meal hall that was almost as lavishly decorated as the rest of the building was. The ceilings were tall and painted with seven different people using different elements. Makao was taught about the original masters in school. He recognized their faces and identifying marks, though he couldn’t remember their names for the life of him. 

“So who is this dude?” A man who sat on the other side of the table gestured at Makao. “He doesn’t look like he is from around here.” His badge read, “Major” and his name tag on his shoulder read in bold letters, “Hinton.” 

A woman beside Hinton responded to him, “The Noapok, you dunce.” She gave him a slap on the back of his head and everyone around her began to laugh. 

She reached her hand across the table and stuck it in front of Makao for him to shake. Makao shook her hand as she introduced herself, “The name’s Ameria Vexx. But you can call me Captain Vexx.” She pointed to her “Captain” badge. She released Makao’s hand from her vice-like grip and shook Sage’s hand. Makao attempted to introduce Sage and himself but Captain Vexx began talking again before he could, “Why did they stick you in here with us?” She asks, plopping back into her seat. 

“I have no idea!” Makao laughed out. “They don’t really tell us much.” Makao looked back at Sage who nodded along. 

“Yeah, they tend to do that.” A tall man with skin the same color as Makao speaks up from the opposite end of the table. His hand snakes its way to Makao, “Kaholo Lokena, or Colonel Lokena.” 

Lokena? That doesn’t sound like a Rich last name, “Are you from a Poor area?” Makao and Sage’s eyes light up at the chance of seeing another Poor born person here. 

“Yeah, I am! I was born in Kerlosi and when I was old enough and skilled enough, I joined the military here. Life is much different here than down in Kerlosi huh?” Lokena’s hearty laugh booms over the already loud hum in the room. “What about you, Noapok? Where do you hail from?”

Makao still didn’t like his title, he much preferred his name. “I was born in Quralni and moved to Ignagini after The Split. I can’t believe you’re from the Poor! I never would have guessed we would have seen a fellow Poor.”

The immediate area became awkwardly quiet. “Now, Noapok. I know you don’t really know how things work around here, so I’ll let that slide. But I am no longer a Poor, neither will I ever be one again. I may have been born in Alegreban, but I am now and forever a citizen of Novybrisk.” The actual territory names for the Rich and Poor were rarely ever spoken or heard in the Poor. Sure, the Poor born people know the names but, the Rich made sure to brand Alegreban with a new nickname, “The Poor.”

“Oh…” Makao stammered out. Makao was reminded of the way the Rich thought of the Poor. Apparently, that way of thinking wasn’t off-limits for anyone of the Poor, even a Noapok. 

Before Makao could apologize the doors of the meal hall opened wide, revealing a woman dressed in very formal military garments. She wore a gold star on her right chest, below it read, General. The hall went quiet as everyone stood to attention. Makao assumed he should do the same and stood along with Sage. She strode down the main aisle and took a seat directly in front of Makao. She raised her hand and everyone sat down again and conversation started back up. 

Makao must have looked pale as he sat down since the General commented, “I won’t bite Makao.” Makao looked up at the woman. She had black hair pulled into a tight bun at the crown of her head. She had dark skin that contrasted off of the light-colored decor. 

“My name is General Akenowa. You will address me as such.” Makao gave a short nod. “You are here tonight Makao so I can give you a brief rundown on what will take place over the next few weeks. Your powers will be put to the test. We need to see your skill level with each of the elements. If you meet our requirements, you will be trained accordingly. From there, you will be given a rundown on what some government officials are planning for the future. Any questions?”

Makao simply sat there for a second, unmoving. That was not what he had expected. They wanted to test his powers? Makao thought this tour was supposed to be just showing him to the various provinces of the Rich, a few dinners, a few meetings, and then he could go home.

Makao came back to reality and forced himself to ask the questions he had acquired. “What are the officials planning?” Makao had a million more questions but this was the most important one. 

“That information is classified at the time. You will learn that if and when you pass the tests.” She talked as if Makao already knew that information. Her eyes did not leave Makao’s once as she spoke. 

There were servants placing down plates of food in front of every person now. The plates housed a piece of white fish, peas, and something yellow that was sliced into thick circles. The Rich were known to have weird food, so Makao had expected to see something he did not recognize. Apparently, though, the military ate more common food than the rest of the Rich. 

It was at this time that Makao heard Sage speak up, “What happens if he doesn’t meet your requirements?” Makao looked over at him. His demeanor had changed since the dressing room, he now looked alert and expectant. 

“Oh, nothing bad. He will only be trained at a faster and harder rate.” She took in the wary look that still Sage still wore on his features. “Mr. Marlow, I assure you, nothing bad will happen to your friend.” 

Sage let out a dissatisfied sigh and began eating the food in front of him. Makao had wondered the same question that Sage asked, he just wasn’t sure if he should ask or not. Sage had a tendency to do that. To ask questions and say things that Makao was thinking before Makao could ask or say it himself. When Makao and Sage had first met and Sage did that, Makao thought he was a witch. 

The rest of the dinner passed by quickly. A question here. A burst of laughter there. From what Makao could tell, everyone at that table got along pretty well together. All except General Akenowa that is. She ate quietly and didn’t talk to anyone other than the brief conversation with Makao at the beginning. She had a very intimidating aura encasing her. She seemed very reserved and people didn’t even attempt to start a conversation with her. 

As Makao and Sage were escorted back to their apartment Makao wondered what the Officials had planned for him. He hoped it was nothing bad. He hoped that they just wanted to show him off to another nation or something. But knowing his government, they probably had something much worse in mind.

Makao and Sage sat opposite of each other in the apartment’s main room. They had changed out of their formal wear and into more comfortable clothes. Despite the below-freezing temperatures outside, Sage had opted for no shirt and sweatpants while on the other hand Makao was dressed from head to toe in long and thick clothing. They both were exhausted from the day’s events and just lied down, opposite each other on the two couches that sat in the center of the big living room. 

Makao broke the silence, “They’re gonna kill me, aren’t they?” He turned his head towards Sage. Sage was lying on his back and turned his head to meet Makao’s

Sage’s face broke into a childlike smile. “Yeah, they probably are,” He laughed out. The boys began to laugh loudly together. They had always made jokes such as these. So many bad things happened in their lives that if you didn’t joke about the bad things, life would be very dull. 

The boy's laughter soon died out and the all too familiar silence crept its way into the room. It wasn’t an awkward silence as much as it was a formidable silence. Makao and Sage both realized the actual dangers that these tests could hold. But, in typical Makao and Sage fashion, they ignored the obvious questions and statements they knew they should acknowledge. 

Makao sat up and took in the space around him once more. The cool palleted interior was much like many other things in the Rich. It seemed like it was holding back a scream. Like the room itself held secrets that no one else knew. The velvet laid seatings were colored an odd mustard yellow. They clashed with the rest of the room, but maybe the Rich liked the clashing colors. 

There was a kitchen offset to the left of Makao. It was very glossy and the lights that hung from the tall ceiling seemed to be made by light manipulator means. The lights made by light manipulators were of high quality. They always sparkled rainbow glows and they provided just the right amount of light. They also adjusted themselves depending on the time of day, so if it was night, they would glow brighter, even when you turned them off they still sparkled slightly. 

Sage coughed as he sat up from the couch. Even though his head had touched the end of the couch on one side, his legs hung off a substantial amount on the other. He got up and began to walk towards the kitchen area. 

Makao sat up, leaning on his elbows, and watched as the tall, shirtless, man strode towards the fridge. Makao couldn’t see what the contents were but judging from the smile that suddenly appeared on Sage’s features, he assumed they were good. Sage bent and stood back up with two beer bottles in his hands, looking at Makao in a playful manner. 

“Shall we?” He asked as he waltzed over to the couches again. Makao laughed and nodded his head as Sage sat down beside him. Sage tossed a bottle high in the air. Makao sat up straight in a frenzy and the bottle halted in midair just above the floor, a purple sheen covering the bottom of it. The bottle floated to Makao’s hand and Makao laughed. “I gotta keep you on your toes, Peliki!” Sage laughed. “You don’t know what these tests will hold!” 

“I’m fairly sure they won’t test me on how fast I can catch a bottle dumbass!” Makao swatted at Sage with his free hand. Sage dodged laughing again. 

Sage opened his bottle on the edge of the coffee table in front of them. Makao flicked his finger and his bottle’s cap flew off, landing on the coffee table. Sage rolled his eyes. 

They sat in silence for a few seconds before Sage asked, “Which one are you most concerned about?” He didn’t look at Makao, his gaze was on the floor. Sage had a tendency to do that; to not look at problems. 

“Light.” Makao didn’t even have to think about that one. Light was easily the element he was least skilled in. Light was a tricky element for any manipulator. It had a tendency to do what it wanted, not what the manipulator wanted. Makao knew how to manipulate it fairly well but he was nowhere close to becoming a master. Sure he knew the basics of manipulating light: How to control its temperature, how to reflect it off of surfaces, even how to cause certain sun-related injuries such as heat rashes and sunburns.   
Sage nodded. He and Makao had talked about such things before. But now this conversation was to try and help Makao think more about the tests. Sage knew many ways to make Makao think and to “get the gears whirring” in that head of his.   
“Okay, well which one are you least concerned about?” Sage took another sip of his drink. 

“Water probably. But I don’t think they are going to want me to be a healer…” Makao looked down. “They probably would expect me to be a fighter with all of the elements. How ironic is it that they got a pacifist Noapok?” 

Sage laughed at the comment. “Honestly! I mean who knows what they are planning but it probably doesn’t have anything to do with ‘being nice’ to people.” They both took sips of their drinks. “It is really funny though! They got you! Makao Peliki, a man who literally hates violence and will do anything to stop it from happening. They got you and they probably expected a war machine!” 

Makao laughed with Sage loudly. He was right! Makao didn’t like fights. He would much rather avoid them, even if he could win most. Fighting was not always right to him. That’s how he was raised. 

Makao could still remember his Pa’s words, “Never throw the first punch, Makao! But do throw the second and the third and the fourth!” His Pa would laugh those words out almost nightly. “And remember Makao, if you get knocked down, you get back up again. No matter how much you’re hurting, you show the opposition that you are a force to be reckoned with. You got that?” 

Makao would always respond the same, “I got it, dad! Never stay down!” If only that younger boy knew how hard it was to get back up again, and again. Makao loved his Pa and Mama dearly. A part of him still hoped they were alive. He checked the death registry every damn day when he was back in the Poor. Their names never came up. But he knew that still wasn’t a good sign, they may be listed under the “unidentified bodies” column. He knew not to get his hopes up. 

Makao and Sage talked for hours, keeping the mood afloat. The coffee table gathered a significant amount of empty bottles. They laughed and spoke of home. What the gang was doing without them. What their boss was thinking. So many topics came and went, but there was still an elephant in the room. Makao decided to acknowledge it after a few more beers.

“Sage, I’m really scared, man.” Makao hated admitting this. He hated showing weakness. He knew that Sage would never judge anything that came out of his mouth, he gave the same courteously to Sage too. 

Sage could tell that Makao wasn’t just scared, he was terrified. Makao rarely ever showed fear or “weakness”. Makao didn’t like to tell people if he was feeling down or stressed. He had mastered the art of keeping the mask up. Even Sage sometimes had trouble seeing through it. 

“I’m scared for you too, Mak.” Sage was sitting on the ground with his back pressed against the couch opposite of the one that Makao sat on. He wanted to look at the ground but he forced his head to look at his friend. Makao looked weary. His eyes were dark, his leg bounced up and down, his beer bottle hung loosely in his hands, as though it may slip out at any second. Makao rarely ever showed weakness, but when he did, he showed it to Sage. The boys had known each other for so long now, it just came naturally. They had each other’s backs since the day they met at the group home they were both put in. 

-

Sage had been at the group home for the majority of his life. Makao never asked what his past was, or how he had ended up there. He figured that if Sage ever wanted Makao to know then he would tell him. 

They met when Makao was fourteen and Sage was about to turn seventeen. Makao was actually very distant towards Sage at first. Makao was distant towards everyone in the first few months at the group home. He was scared that his siblings may be taken away from him, so he stuck to the kids like glue. Kekoa was the second oldest at ten and Mano had only turned two a month before the Split. 

Makao was always headstrong. He never liked to admit that he needed help. The day that Makao and Sage became close was the day that Makao wanted to forget. He had shown so much weakness that day. The group home was losing funding daily. They couldn’t support all of the kids so they let a lot of them go onto the streets; that included Sage and Makao along with his siblings. 

Makao was thrust onto the street with nothing but a scarcely filled diaper bag, an almost empty backpack, and the clothes on his back. Mano hadn’t ceased his crying for nearly a week and he wasn’t going to let up any time soon. He sat on Makao’s hip, wailing at the top of his lungs. Kapono gripped the back of Makao’s shirt, sniffling. Lelani trailed beside her oldest brother, latched onto a string that hung from the diaper bag. Kekoa was trying to get out of his older brother’s iron grip on his arm so he could “punch the home worker’s teeth in”. 

With the stress of taking care of four young kids, trying to find a place to live, trying to keep his job, and having to drop out of school, Makao was on the verge of a complete breakdown. 

Sage had found Makao that night under a bridge. The air was humid and the ground was damp with rainwater. Makao’s siblings were all asleep around him, curled up under a jacket that looked like it belonged to Makao. Makao had nearly jumped out of his skin when he noticed Sage. His hands rose quickly around him, getting into a fighting position. Sage knew that stance belonged to an experienced water manipulator. 

When Makao had recognized Sage as “the kid from the home”, he lowered his hands, releasing a heavy sigh. 

“Don’t fucking sneak up on me again like that, dude,” Makao mumbled out. He adjusted the coat over his siblings. Sage’s hands found his pockets. 

“Didn’t mean to,” Sage said defensively. “You hanging out here for the night?” Sage looked Makao in the eyes. 

“What does it look like?” Makao asked sarcastically. Makao realized that he was being rude. “Sorry.” Makao apologized quietly. He didn’t mean to snap at people. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Sage replied with a short laugh. He didn’t know exactly what Makao was going through, but he knew that it was rough. “Hey uhh, I found myself a place down by Grit’s. You can stay with me if you’d like.” Grit’s was a cheap grocery store that sold fairly good quality food. Grit’s also gave out old food that they had prepared for samples to people. Food rarely went to waste in the Poor. 

Makao wanted to refuse. He wanted to be strong and say that he could make it out here. Which, he could very well make it on the streets. But Mano and Kapono were already getting sick and Lelani had a slight fever. Makao knew what he had to do. 

Makao nodded his head in response to Sage’s proposal. He began to rouse his siblings. He stood and put the small Mano on his hip again, Mano dug his head into Makao’s shoulder. Sage stepped forward, closer to the group of siblings. 

“Can I help?” was all he asked. Makao swallowed even more of his pride and nodded his head again. Sage scooped up Kapono and grabbed a stray bag filled with clothes that had previously been slung over Kekoa’s shoulder. 

So the boys set off, arms filled with kids and bags, their hands held Kekoa’s and Lelani’s. Not a single word was spoken the entire walk to Sage’s apartment. The hustle of the slums made sure to give the walk sound though. The sun peeked over the horizon as Sage slid a lone key into a lock on the door. 

The apartment was a studio. It was dark and had a few blankets and one or two pillows shrewd along the sidewall. Sage had planned for them to come, Makao realized. Sage didn’t tell them that he nicked the blankets and pillows from another house though. That house had plenty of them, so they wouldn’t miss a few right? 

Makao and Sage layed down the sleepy children on the cold, wooden floor. Makao quickly covered them all with any blankets and coverings he could find and made sure they were warm. 

Makao slid down a wall, resting his head in his arms. He was exhausted. He had gotten very little sleep in the last month. The stress of everything didn’t help with the tiredness either. 

Before Makao could process what was happening, tears began to silently stream down his face. He didn’t want them and he couldn’t stop them either. He rubbed his right eye, trying to get the tears to stop. He didn’t know exactly why he was crying, but he knew that he most definitely did not want Sage to see. 

Makao sniffled loudly and wiped his face one last time before he raised his head up completely, only to meet Sage’s eyes. He hid his face again quickly, but Sage had already seen. 

Sage felt horrible for Makao. He was fourteen for god’s sake. He was supposed to be in school and teasing his siblings, not dropping out of school to raise them. He wouldn’t call Makao a kid, because even though he was three years younger, he had gone through a lot, just like Sage had. 

Sage quietly walked over to Makao. He knelt down and simply put his hand on Makao’s back. He couldn’t leave someone to hurt like that alone. Even if he knew that Makao didn’t want to be touched, he still could try to help. 

Makao’s sobs became only slightly louder. Makao honestly thought that he may drop dead from embarrassment at this point. He knew that he couldn’t face this alone but he desperately wanted to; though he knew that would only lead to more hurting.   
“It’s alright, I also lost my parents,” Sage said softly. He attempted a light joke, “I would have been a disaster too if I had to take care of my siblings at the same time”. 

Makao lifted his head and looked at Sage with a confused face. He then quietly began to laugh. “You’re an asshole, you know that?”

Sage smiled crookedly, “Yeah, I know.” Sage fully sat down on the cold floor now. He locked his hands around his knees and sat there with Makao. Silence and quiet snores from the children were the only things that filled the room. It wasn’t an awkward silence, it was a comforting silence. 

-  
The silence melded into the present, Makao set his bottle down, adding to the growing stockpile on the coffee table. The atmosphere was serious in a way, though both of the now drunken men felt comfort. They were both scared for the trials to come. But they both knew that no matter what would happen, they wouldn’t part from each other. After everything they had been through together, how could they? 

“You’ll do fine Mak. You have to!” Sage slurred. “There’s no way you couldn’t do good! I believe in ya, Mak.” Sage had sat beside Makao and draped his arm over the smaller man’s shoulders. Makao grabbed the half-full bottle out of Sage’s hand and gulped the rest down. 

“Hey! C’mon now…” Sage slurred again. 

“I need it more than you do,” Makao stated as he swallowed the last drops. 

“Good point. Good point.” 

At some point during the night, Makao and Sage had both fallen asleep beside each other on the small couch. Makao had slid down onto the floor and Sage had toppled over onto his side, his face mashed into the couch. 

The sunlight had just begun to spill over into the apartment when the door opened. A woman dressed in military gear heaved a heavy and disappointed sigh as she stepped over the threshold.


End file.
